Apparatus for treating mineral oils



E. V SMNE.

APPARAIUS FOR TREATNG MiNEHAL OILS.

MI'LILAHON FILED NAYZT. I920.

Patented Jan. 10, 1 922.

ITTORXICIS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR- TBEATING MINERAL OILS.

Application Med May 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Banner Vrcrou STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taft, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in A paratus for Treating Mineral Oils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an apparatus for treating mineral oils and has for its 'object the provision of an apparatus including a crack- 111 chamber having means for heatin one en thereof for vaporizing the minera oils, and also having means for coolihg the opposite end thereof for condensing the vaporized oils.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus of this character including means for positively removing the carbon deposits which accumulate within' the crackin chamber.

It is a sti further object of the invention to provide means for Introducing a flushing oil into the crackin chamber for dimolving and flushing out t e tarry compositions formed within the cracking chamber when the vaporous mineral oils are condensed.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a circulating system for the flushing oil including means for cooling a portion of the mineral oil distillates withdrawn from the cracking chamber and then returning said cooled mineral oil distillates to the cracking chamber for roducin the flushi action in the cracking cham r.

g e invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a long tudinal section through an apparatus constructed in accordance with e invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line Fig. 3 is adetail longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

In the practical embodiment of the invention, as il ustrated, I have shown a furnace 1 which may be of any referred construction, the heating means or the furnace being shown ,at 2. The cracking chamber is shown at 3 as a closed cylindrical shell extending through and beyond the furnace 1. The cracking chamber is adapted to revolved upon its longitudinal axis for which puiilpoee it is shown provided with rings 4 zed upon its outer surface, preferably, adjacent Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 10, 1922. 1920. Serial No. 884,716.

its respective ends, these rings resting upon rollers 5 which are journaled upon shafts 6 supported .in suitable brackets 7. These brackets rest upon a suitable foundation so as to form supporting means for the crackmg chamber which will include means for causing revolution of the crackin chamber.

The mechanism for turnipg t e cracking chamber may include a ring gear 8 upon the outer surface of the cracking chamber, said ring gear meshing with a pinion 9 which may be fixed upon one of the shafts 6. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft and thus turning the cracking chamber through the driving connection 8 and 9, said means for rotating shaft 6 being shown as including a pulley l0 fixed upon said shaft.

An attrition tube 11 extends throu h the cracking chamber and is rotatable t erein either in the same direction, or in opposite direction to the direction of revolution of the cracking chamber. This attrition tube is arranged to make contact with the wall of the cracking chamber throughout only a portion of the circumferences of the attrition tube and the cracking chamber, the points of contact changin throughout the turning of the attrition to and the crackin chamber. For this purpose the attrition tube is formed as an oblique cone having one side 11 extending parallel with and resting against the wall of the cracking chamber and its remaining portion 11 inclined relative to the wall of the cracking chamber. The base 11' of the conical attrition tube, preferably, fits snugl within the cracking chamber and the end of the attrition tube are, preferably, spaced somewhat from the ends of the cracking chamber, the attrition tube being shown as a frustum of a cone. B1 this arrangement it will be seen that w en the cracking chamber is revolved and the attrition tube 15 rotated therein, the tube 0 and chamber will always 'make contact throu bout a portion of their circumferences and giis contact portion will constantly chan throu bout the circumferences ofthe chem r emf 7 carbon deposits, accumulating upon the walls of the tube and chamber, will be removed as soon as formed by the contact between the tube and chamber.

The means for rotatin the attrition tube in either direction wifiiiu the cracking chamber may include a shaft 12 extending tube by which arrangement having through a suitable stufling box 13 and through one end of the cracking chamber to a point adjacent the base of the conical attrition tube at which point it is connected by a universal joint 14 to a stub shaft 15 projecting axially from the base of the attrition tube. The shaft 12 may be journaled in a suitable bearing bracket 16 supported upon the tonndation of the apparatus, and the driving connection for this shaft may include agear 17 fixed upon the shaft and meshing with a pinion 18 upon a suitable countershaft 19 which may be driven in any suitable manner including a pulley 20 upon the countershaft. The mineral oils to be cracked are, preferably, supplied to the cracking chamber through shaft 12 which for this purpose is shown as a hollow shaft open at its inner end 21 so as to discharge into the cracking chamber. The shaft 12. may be connected with any suitable supply conduit 22 which is longitudinally alined with the outer end of the shaft and connected therewith through a suitable stufiing'box 23. Rogulati means shown as a valve 24 is proride in the conduit 22 for adjusting the supply of the mineral oils to be treated to the cracking chamber. The mineral OllS supplied to the cracking chamber will be vaporized therein during their assage through the portion of the cracki c amber within the furnace 1, and when t. is vapors reach the ortion of the cracking chamber extending yond the furnace the are condensed within the cracki V (ham er thereby producing mineral oil 'stillates.

The means for cooling the vaporous mineral oils is shown as com ising a pipe 25 sgra nozzles 26 or discharging a cooling ui such as water, against the outer surface of the cracking chamber. This cooling of the vaporous mineral oils will cause condensation of the latter and the liquefied gases and the fixed gases remainim after the condensation of the vaporoua oi s together with other liquids that may be present in the condensi portion of the crackin chamber, will be ischarged from the env at end of the cracking chamber.

The discharging means may comprise a. plurality of ports 27 arra ed circumferentially around the wall 0 a the cracking :llflll'llJGI', referabl beyond the end of the attrition ube. Tlicse ports communicate througlrnipples 23 with an annular chamher 29 surrounding the cracking chamber and communicating throu a dischar e pipe so with a suitable storage tank The storage tank 31 is shown as provided with a suitable discharge pipe 32 at its lower end con oiled by a valve 33, the cranked liydroca ens being adapted to be removed through said discharge pipe.

In practice i't w'il be ound that at the oint within the cracking chamber where the vaporized hydrocarbons are subjected to cooling means for condensing the gases,

in addition to the carbon deposits which will be formed 11 on the apparatus, tarry substances will a so be formed from the hydrocarbons within the cracking chamber. If means are not provided for ositively removing this tarry accumulation the apparatus will be clogged by the same and the efiicient operation of the apparatus will thus be impeded. In order to provide for'the removal of such a tan accumulation a flushing lubricant is, pre erably, introduced into the cracking chamber, this lubricant being arranged to dissolve the tarry aocumulation within the cracking chamber and discharge the same through the discharge ports 27.

As a practical example of means for time flnshin the cracking chamber I have shown the tan 31 provided with a return itpe 34 leading from the lower portion of t e tank to a suitable pum 35 which will cause a portion of the hy rocarbons from the storage tank to be pumped into suitable cooling apparatus shown as comprising a coil 36 through which the hydrocarbons pass and which is arranged to be contacted by a suithblo cooling medium shown as a body of water received within a tank 37 surrounding the coil. From the coil 36 the oils, which have thus been reduced to the temperature below that of the condensed hydrocarbons within the cracking chamber, are led through a pipe 38 to suitable means connected with the cracking chamber for int-rmlucing said oils into the cracking chamber, preferably, at the end of the portion of said chamber in which the hydrocarbons are vaporized and at the be 'nni of the condensing portion of the crac ing c mber.

As an instance of this arran merit a pipe 39 may project beyond the ischarge end of the cracking chamber, this pipe being referably, journaled in a bear-1n bracket 0 and connecting with the pi 3 through a suitable stalling box 41. T i e pipe 39 is shown as closed to the end of the cracking chamber and has communicating branch pipes 42 extending radially beyond the 116 cracking chamber and then lon itudinallv of said. chamber, as shown at 4 so as to discharge into the cracking chaiube'r at the ports 44 arran ed at the inning of the condensing en of the (tracing chamber. 120 By this arrangement it will be seen that hydrocarbons at a temperature lower than the distillatos formed within the cracking chamber will he in'ected into the; crack chamber at the sta of the condensation o the vaporous hydrocarbons therein, these hydfxocarbons' of'rednced temperature being discafged with the distillates through the discharge ports 27 Mid acting as a flushing medium, for dissolfing and carrying 1 0 from the cracking chamber any tarry residue which may accumulate therein.

It will be seen that the construction, as thus described, provides a cracking chamber one end of which forms a vaporization chamber, and the opposite ends of which forms a condensin chamber, means being provided for supp ying the hydrocarbons to be cracked at t e vaporizing end of the chamber and for discharging the hydrocarbon distillates from the opposite end of the chamber.

Furthermore, it will be observed that the improved construction provides an attrition.

tube within the cracking chamber which may be rotated either in the same or in opposite direction to the direction of revolution of the cracking chamber, this attrition tube being arranged to rub against the wall of the cracking chamber through only a small portion of the'circumference of the cracking chamber. but this oint of rubbing contact between the attrition tube and the cracking chamber constantly changing throughout the entire circumferences of the tube and chamber so as to positively remove carbon accumulations from all portions of the walls of the tube and chamber.

It will be understood that the driving means for the attrition tube and the cracking chamber may be so regulated as to respectively actuate the tube and chamber at any desired variable speeds for producing any desired relative speed between the contacting surfaces of the tube and chamber. it will be also observed that the improved apparatus provides means for returning a portion of the distillates recovered fr om the cracking chamber to the latter at a reduced temperature so as to provide a flushing medium for continuously carrying from the cracking chamber the carbon removed from the walls of the apparatus as well as any tarry accumulations formed in the crack-- ing chamber during the vaporization and subsequent condensation of the hydrocarbons.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating mineral oils comprising a rotatable cracking chamber, and an attrition tube rotatable within said chamber, said cracking chamber and attrition tube being rotatable in the same. direction and in opposite directions.

2. An apparatus for treating mineral oils comprising a rotatable cracking chamber, and an attrition tube rotatably mounted within said cracking chamber, said cracking chamber and attrition tube being rotatable at different relative speeds.

3. An apparatus for treating mineral oils comprising a rotatable cracking chamber, and an attrition tube rotatably mounted within said cracking chamber, said cracking chamber and attrition tube being rotatable at different relative s eeds in the same direction and in opposite c irections.

4. An apparatus for treating mineral oils comprising a cracking chamber and an attrition tube within said cracking chamber, and means for rotating said cracking chamber and said attrition tube, said tube and chamber being arranged for rubbing contact throughout a portion of the circumferences of said tube and chamber.

5. An apparatus for treating mineral oils comprising a cracking chamber and an attrition tube within said crackin chamber, and means for rotating said cracking chamber and said attrition tube, said tube and chamber being arranged for rubbing contact throughout a portion of the circumferences of said tube and chamber, the remaining portions of the circumferences of said tube and chamber bein r s aced apart, said spaw: tapering in width ongitudinally of said tube and chamber.

' 6. An apparatus for treating mineral oils comprising a cracking chamber, an attrition tube within said crackin chamber, means for independently rotating said cracking chamber and said attrition tube, said chamher and tube arranged for rubbing contact throu 'hout a portion of the circumferences of said tube and chamber, and means for injecting a flushing medium into said cracking chamber.

7. An apparatus for treatin mineral oils comprising a cracking cham er having a vaporizing end and a condensing end, an attrition tube within said cracking chamber, means for independently rotating said crackin chamber and said attrition tube, said tn e and chamber being arranged for rubbing contact throughout a portion of the circumferences of said tube and chamber, and means for cooling a portion of the discharge from said cracking chamber and returning the same to said cracking chamber between the vaporizing and the condensing ends thereof for flushing said cracking chamber.

8. An apparatus for treating mineral oils comprising a rotatable cylindrical cracking chamber, an attrition tube within said cracking chamber formed as an oblique cone, said cone having one side thereof perpendicular to its base and resting against the cracking chamber, and a shaft havin a unixcrsal joint connection with the use of said cone for rotating the attrition tube relative to said crackin chamber.

In testimony whereo? I have signed my name to this specification.

ERNEST VICTOR STONE. 

